Wild Tales is a collection of six crazy, absurd and hilarious stories of people who are stressed out or depressed by the drive for success, competition and the inequality of the world we live in. With its underlying theme of violence and vengeance, this Argentinean black comedy-drama boasts an eclectic ensemble cast. Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, Wild Tales is Argentina’s submission to the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. - Dubai International Film Festival 2014

Claire (Anaïs Demoustier) is grieving the loss of her lifetime best friend, who has left behind a husband, David (Romain Duris), and a newborn baby. On an unannounced visit, a shocked Claire discovers David nuzzling his infant while wearing the clothes of his dead wife. Unfazed, David explains that his former wife had always been aware of this particular idiosyncrasy. In time, Claire begins to overcome her initial reaction, and helps David to create his own female persona to inhabit.

In this, his latest cinematic offering, Ozon has delivered a well-paced psychological drama that investigates grief and identity. The New Girlfriend is also a funny, good-natured poke at the mores and peccadilloes of France’s bourgeoisie in a film that effortlessly fuses the best of Hitchcock and Almodóvar. - Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2014

Oscar nominations for The Buena Vista Social Club and Pina attest to the way that the documentary seems to bring out the best in Wim Wenders. The Salt of the Earth is no exception as it pays tribute to the extraordinary life of photographer and environmentalist Sebastião Salgado.

Working with Salgado’s son Juliano Ribeiro, Wenders has created a film entirely in keeping with the humility of the subject. Hauntingly beautiful images are matched with illuminating testimony to create an utterly absorbing portrait. Salgado is a magnetic personality and he recalls some of the major projects of his career, including Workers and Genesis, an affectionate love letter to the planet.

Salgado recalls lengthy periods of his life when he saw ample evidence of death and destruction. Typically, he found creative ways to transcend that despair and the film ends in hope as we learn of the Salgado family’s success in re-building an entire ecosystem at the Instituto Terra in Brazil. A fitting tribute to an inspirational figure. - Allan Hunter / Screen International

When an English couple moves into a quaint village in Normandy, their curious neighbor Martin finds himself obsessed with the stunning young wife Gemma. His fascination leads to strange behavior; a harmless but dedicated stalker, he’s relentless in his hope she’ll return his affection. He compares her to Madame Bovary, the adulterous housewife character from Gustave Flaubert’s book of the same name. While his fantasies begin to materialize, it’s not Martin she ends up cheating with. Instead, it’s the dashing but somewhat cocky Niels, a law student who lives nearby. Their affair only fuels Martin’s obsession, who constantly spies on them and eventually hatches a plan to break them up. But Gemma’s infidelity issues go much further than he thought, as she’s tangled in a web that could destroy her. Gemma Bovery isn't just a tale of love and obsession, though. It also balances drama with the comedic antics of Martin, played brilliantly by Fabrice Luchini. It’s a surprisingly fun rom-com both sexes can enjoy. - Cleveland International Film Festival 2014

The mountainous scenery of Lesotho provides the canvas for director Andrew Mudge’s profoundly visual story, which tells the tale of Atang: a young man obliged to make a pilgrimage from the bustle of Johannesburg to his native Lesotho upon learning that his father has passed away.

There, Atang is reunited with childhood friend Dineo, with whom he discovers a romantic spark. But her disapproving father whisks Dineo away and sends Atang back to Jo’burg. Resolving to win her back, Atang enlists the help of a young orphan boy to guide him through the arresting rural terrain.

The first film ever to be produced in Lesotho, The Forgotten Kingdom is a beguiling quest steeped in the history and culture of the Basotho people. - Cambridge Film Festival 2013Winner – Audience Award, Cambridge Film Festival 2013Winner – Audience Award, Florida Film Festival 2013

In director Ruben Östlund’s film a father, Tomas, puts his own safety ahead of his family’s in a perceived disaster. The feared disaster does not actually take place, but in illustrating Tomas’ behavior under duress, the event sends fault-lines through the relationship between his family and himself. This engaging drama follows the aftermath of this uncertain, intense, and undeniable moment. - Calgary Film Festival 2014

Friday, January 9, 2015

All films start at 8.30 pm in the Skerries Sailing Club.
Tickets /
membership at the door.WednesdayJanuary28 – Life of CrimeDir: Daniel Schechter, USA 2013, 94 mins, Cert: ClubStarring: Jennifer Aniston, Isla Fisher, Tim Robbins, Will Forte, Jon Hawkes, Mos DefLanguage: EnglishTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQvnhJuhM3g&list=PLeACCobo_9B9iFzQAeZq7lzbXEJ21wSaRJennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins and John Hawkes star in this wildly entertaining caper, adapted from a book by Elmore Leonard, about two ex-cons whose plan to kidnap a real estate developer’s wife doesn’t go quite as smoothly as expected.Author Elmore Leonard's characters Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara were made famous on the screen by Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown. Stepping into the skin of Robbie and Gara for a very different adventure set fifteen years prior to the events of Jackie Brown, yasiin bey (perhaps better known to audiences as Mos Def ) and John Hawkes star in Daniel Schechter's new seventies caper comedy, Life of Crime.Fresh out of prison, where they bonded over their similar convictions for grand theft auto, Ordell and Louis (Hawkes) have already decided to team up when they catch wind of Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins), a Detroit property developer and secret embezzler. Their plan is simple: they'll kidnap Frank's country-club wife, Mickey (Jennifer Aniston), and hold her for ransom. What the duo didn't count on is that Frank's affections have turned to his perky young mistress, Melanie (played by the always charming Isla Fisher), and he may not be in a rush to rescue his spouse. Eliciting Mickey's insider knowledge, the crooks shift gears, frantically devising a new plan.Also featuring great performances from Will Forte and Seana Kofoed, Life of Crimeutilizes its all-star cast and impeccable art direction to build an entertaining and hilarious period piece. Evoking the spirit of some of the greatest film adaptations of Leonard's novels, Get Shorty, Out of Sight and, of course, Jackie Brown, Schechter serves up a twisty comedic gem. - Toronto International Film Festival 2014WednesdayFebruary11– Bright Days AheadLes beaux joursDir: Marion Vernoux, France 2013, 94 mins, Cert: ClubStarring: Fanny Ardant, Laurent Lafitte, Patrick Chesnais, Jean-Francois Stevenin, Fanny Cottencon, Catherine LachensLanguage: FrenchTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OLL5Ptu6T0

In this sophisticated French drama, a woman in her 60s (film icon Fanny Ardant, 8 Women, Confidentially Yours) falls for a much younger man (Laurent Lafitte, Little White Lies), her computer teacher at the local seniors’ club. As she finds herself courting danger—taking her young lover to places they could easily be discovered by her husband (Patrick Chesnais, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)—she must decide if her retirement will mark the end for her marriage, or a new beginning. Director Marion Vernoux constructs a subtle and sultry vision of a woman struggling to evaluate the role she has played for others versus the life she wants for herself. - Ashley Havey / Tribeca Film Festival 2014WednesdayFebruary25– In Order of DisappearanceKraftidiotenDir: Hans Petter Moland, Norway 2013, 116 mins, Cert: ClubStarring: Stellan Skarsgård, Bruno Ganz, Pål Sverre Hagen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Gard B. EidsvoldLanguage: NorwegianTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cG-exgIwPQ

Norway, winter. Introverted and hard-working Nils drives the powerful snow plough that keeps open the roads and mountain passes of the inhospitable frozen landscape where he lives. He’s just been named citizen of the year for his efforts when he receives news that his son has died of a heroin overdose. Refusing to believe the official version of his son’s death, he begins a covert search for the boy's alleged murderers. A surprising turn of events causes him to become a tough-as-nails and feared underworld hero – one whose identity nobody knows. A gruesome black comedy full of impressive images of an endless wintry-white landscape which Nils knows how to use to his advantage. The film deploys dark comedy to depict Nils’ exploits in the realm of gangsters, which is characterised by a delicately nuanced portrayal of the mentalities of Swedish, Norwegian and Serb mafiosi with Bruno Ganz putting in an appearance as a Serb mafia boss. - Berlin Film Festival 2014

WednesdayMarch11– IdaDir: Pawel Pawlikowski, Poland 2013, 80 mins, Cert: 15AStarring: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid OgrodnikLanguage: PolishTrailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWKgYlwKFs4&list=PLb5Gvke6-GlwGH-7fkVWY5TOlhuwXXg05Anna has spent her whole life in cloistered devotion to God. Before taking her vows, she meets her hard-living aunt and discovers that her Jewish parents were murdered during the Nazi occupation. This disciple of Christ and cynical, world-weary Communist then set off on a road trip which becomes a voyage of personal discovery and reconciliation.Ida addresses the national burden of guilt and forgiveness in the aftermath of World War II. Pawel Pawlikowski’s film stimulates metaphysical debate on faith and the nature of events. The director’s painterly, meticulous approach to composition results in a visually-hypnotic piece of grace and serenity. - Mark Ryall / access CINEMAWinner - Best Film, London Film Festival 2013Winner – International Critics Prize, Toronto International Film Festival 2013

In order to secure a vital factory contract, the residents of a small Newfoundland fishing village conspire to charm a big-city doctor into becoming the town’s full-time physician in this sparkling comedy from director Don McKellar (Last Night) and screenwriter Michael Dowse (The F Word).Like many affected by the collapse of the fishing industry, residents of this once-thriving settlement are driven to seek employment in the city, or, worse, queue for government assistance. Their future begins to look brighter when a plastics manufacturer proposes to set up shop – until they learn that the contract calls for a resident doctor. Enter Dr Lewis (Taylor Kitsch), an ethically suspect cosmetic surgeon. In a riotous attempt to charm him, the villagers fall over themselves trying to persuade him that their seemingly sleepy hamlet is secretly a hotbed of cosmopolitan sophistication.The Grand Seduction’s gentle, whimsical reflections are poignant and uproarious by turns, and brought to life through superb performances from Brendan Gleeson and Canadian icon Gordon Pinsent. Shot on location in Trinity Bay, the film is certain to delight even the saltiest cynic. - Toronto International Film Festival 2013WednesdayApril15– The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvannDir: Felix Herngren, Sweden 2013, 114 mins, Cert: 15AStarring: Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, Mia Skaringer, David Wiberg, Jens Hulten, Alan FordLanguage: SwedishTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wTWSrxJQ9M

Jonas Jonasson’s witty, feel-good international best-seller gave pleasure to millions and proved that it is never too late to let a little adventure in your life. The eagerly awaited screen version stars Robert Gustafson as the Zelig-like Allan Karlsson who quietly escapes from the celebrations for his one hundredth birthday and takes to the road. Little misunderstandings and unfortunate coincidences soon find him in possession of a suitcase of cash and being hotly pursued by crooks and criminals. It’s hardly going to trouble a man who played a vital role in making the atomic bomb, has known several world leaders and participated in some of the key events of the last century. An outrageous delight. - Glasgow Film Festival 2013